Headpiece for sails



Oct. 27, 1925' 1,559,264

L. .1. LARSEN ammmcs FOR SAILS Filed Feb. 4, 1925 INVENTOR Louis J. Lflks N m4 Arroauavs Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES LOUIS J. LARSEN, 0F LONG I'SLANDCI'JJY; NEW YORK.

HEAD IECE non SAILS.

Application filed February 4, 1925. Serial No; 6,677.

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, LOUIS J. LAnsnN, a subject of the King of Denmark, residing at Long Island City, county of Queens, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Headpieces for Sails, of which the following isa speci-' fication. I

This invention relates to improvements in rigging for sailing vessels, and has particular reference to a head piece for sails. In the use of Marconi or jib-headed sails it has heretofore been customary to form a head piece made of wood to'which the head of the sail is secured by. stitching. It has been found that these stitches become Worn and break very quickly due to the handling of the sail, thus necessitating frequent repairs. An object of the present invention is to provide an improved headpiece for sails so constructed that the use'of stitches to secure the head of the sail thereto is avoided and which may be'rea-dily and quickly attached to and detached from the sail.

Another object is to securely connect the mast rope to the 'headpiece'in such manner that said rope will. afford a means for preventing longitudinal movement of the head piece relative to the upper edge of the head ofthe sail and consequent accidental detachment of said head piece from the sail. A further object is to; so construct the head piece that when the sail stretches the slack along the leach thereof may be taken up by an adjustment of" the head piece rela tive to the halyard connected thereto.

The above and other objects will appear more clearly from the following detailed description, when taken in. connection with the accompanying. drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the in ventive idea.

In the drawing- Figure 1. is a side elevation,partlybroken away and shown in section, of the head piece showing the same in operative position; j

' Figure 2 is'a section Figure 1; and

FigureB is a section on the line 33 of Figure 1.

The head piece of the present invention is particularly designed for use in connecon'the line 2-2 of 6 tion with. Marconior jib headed sails, but

it is to be expressly understood that the inventionis in no way limited, to such use, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims.

The head piece of the present invention is preferably made of metal andof a configuration similar to that of head pieces now generall employed, the same having a straight e ge and a curved edge. The device is designedv for attachment to the head portion 4 of a sail 5 and to this end the-straight edge of the body of the head piece isformed throughout its length with a longitudinally extending channel 6 and a restricted slot 7 communicating therewith. WVhen attaching the head piece to the sail the head portion of the latter is folded uponitself and the folds are stitched, as indicated at 8, soasto provide a permanent loop. The retaining element or rod 9 of a length equal to that of the straight edge of'the body of the head piece is inserted between the folds ofthe head portion 4 and engaged with the material of the sail at the end of the fold remote from the stitching 8.

One end of the rod 9tand the portion of the material of thesail adjacent thereto is then inserted into one end of the channel 6 with the portion of the folded material adjacent the rod 9 engaged in and projecting from the slot 7, as shown inFigure 2. The head piece is then moved longitudinally until the entire rod 9 is disposed within said channel. In this: manner it will be apparent that the head piece will be securely connected to the sail and that only a longitudinal movement of said head piece relative to the-upper edge of the sail will be possible.

The curved edge of the head piece 7 is formed throughout its length with a groove 11 for receiving the mast rope 12 secured to the luff of thejsail and to the upper end of the leach thereof in the customary manner. Vhen the mast rope 12 is in position the same forms a closure for the ends of the channel 6 and prevents relative longitudinal movement between the head piece and theupper edge of the head portion of the sail.

In order to secure the mast rope in position'so that the same will effectively act as a closure for the ends of the channel 6 the opposed faces-of thehead piece are provided with recesses 13 and in the corners of said recesses adjacent the ends of the straight rope in position in the groove 11. By securmg each element 16; in position in this manner it will be obvious that only that portion of the element which extends about the exposed surface of the mast rope 1-2 will be subject to wear occasioned by the handling of the sails, the remaining portion of the ole-- ments16 being recessed within the head piece and disposed entirely within the-planes of the outer opposed surfaces .of said body.

In order to compensate for stretching of the sails the head piece is provided with a plurality of apertures 18 arranged at inter valsadjacent the curved edge of the head piece and any one of which may be utilized for the purpose of attaching the head piece to a halyard 19. \Vith the halyard connected through the aperture shown at the left in Figure l, the straight edge of said head piece will assume a substantially horizontal position. but should the sail become stretched, as for instance, along its leach, this stretching may be taken up by connecting the halyardto either one ofthe other apertures 18 and by reason of the angular relation of the halyard to the head piece it will be obvious that its connection to the head piece through'either of the last named apertures will cause said piece to assume differentangular positions with respect to the horizontal. Thus, for example, in taking up the stretch along the leach of the sail, if the halyard is connected to the'head piece through the aperture 18 at the right of Figure 1, the result will be a lifting of the right hand end of'the head piece, thereby compensating for the stretching which has occurred.

Wliat is claimed is:

l. A head piece for sails formed from a single piece of material and including a body provided with a channelfor receiving a portion of a sail, and a rigid element engage able with said portion and capable of being mounted within said channel to prevent detachment of said sail from said body.

2. A head piece for sails formed from a single piece ofmaterial and including: a body having a channel formed along one edge thereof and capable of receiving a portion of a sail, and a rod insertable into said channel and engageable with said portion for-"preventing detachment of said sailfrom said body. I

A head piece for sails, including a body having a channel therein capable of receiving folded portion of the sail, and means insertable into said channel and between the folds of said portion to prevent detachment of said sail from the body.-

t. The combination with a sail capable of having a portion folded over upon itself, and a retaining element insertable between the folds of said portion; of a head piece having means for receiving said retaining element and the portion of said folds be tween which said element is inserted.

5. The combination with a sail capable of having a portion folded over upon itself, and aretain-ing element insert-able between the folds of said portion; of a head piece having a channel'an'd communicating: slot in one edge ca'pableof receiving said retaining element and the portion ofsaid folds surrounding said element, said folds extend ing through said slot.

6; A head piece for sails includinga body having a channel therein capable of receiving a portion of a sail, and means insertable into said channel and engageable' with said portion for preventing detachment of the sail from the body, said body having means for permitting the attachment of amast rope thereto sothat said mast rope will-form a closure for the ends of said channel to prevent longitudinal movement therein oftlie first named means. I

7. The combination with a sail capable having a portion folded over upon. itself, and a retaining element insertable between the folds of said portion; of a head piece having means for receiving saidv retaining element and the portion of said folds between Which said element is inserted, and a mast rope secured to said body and forming a closure for the ends of saidchannel to pre vent longitudinal movement therein of said retaining element and portion of said folds.

8. A head piece for sails,'inchiding a body having a channel formed along the entire length of one edge thereof, and a restricted slot communicatingwith said channel, said channel and slotrbeing capable of receiving a portion of a sail, and means engageable withqsaid portion and iinsertablejnto said channel to attach. said body to said sail. I

.9. A head piece for sails, including aEbody haying a channel ilorined along the entire length of one edge thereof, and a restricted slot connnunicating with said channel; said channel and slot being capable of receiving a portion of a sail,-and a' retaining rod engag-sable with said portion and insertable into and extending the length of said channel. 7

10. A head piece for sails, including a body having a channel formed along the entirelength of one edge thereof, and a restricted slot communicating with said channelgsaid channel and slot being capable of receiving a portion of a sail, a retaining, rod engageabl with said portion and insertable nel, and a mast rope secured to said body and forming a closure for the ends of. said channel to prevent longitudinal movement therein of said retaining rod and portion of said sail.

11. A head piece for sails including .a body having recesses in opposed faces thereof and a channel extending along one of its edges for receiving a portion of a sail, means to retain said portion in said channel, a mast rope extending along the other edge of said body, and means extending through the Walls of said recesses and faces of said body and embracing said mast rope, said means lying entirely Within the planes of the outer opposed surfaces of said body.

12. A head piece for sails including a body having recesses in opposed faces thereof and a channel extending along one of its edges for receiving a portion of a sail, means to retam said port1on 1n said channel, a

mast rope extending along the otheredge of i said body, Vmeans extending through the walls of said-recesses and faces of said body and embracing said mast rope, said means lying entirely Within the planes of the outer opposed surfaces of said body, and said mast rope forming a closure for the ends of said channel.

13. A' head piece for sails having a body provided with means'permitting of attaching of the head piece to a sail by a longi Y tudinal movement of the head piece relative to an edge of said sail, and means capable of association with the first named means for securing said head piece to the sail. 1

In testimony whereof I have aflFiXed my signature. r

LOUIS J. LARSEN. 

